Zero tolerance for Bert Lina

The recent Zero Remittance Day by OFWs all over the world in protest of Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina’s P600-million revenue goal predicated on taxes to be imposed on balikbayan boxes sends a very strong signal from our so-called modern-day heroes. 

OFWs are now fully aware of their political muscle. They know they have the economic clout, backed up by data from the Bangko Sentral showing a jump in personal remittances to $26.93 billion last year, which accounts for 8.5 percent of the national gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014.

As such, our OFWs have no qualms about showing their frustration and anger at the shabby treatment they have been getting from the government. Why focus on their balikbayan boxes when it is an open secret in Aduana that whole container vans sail through Customs without paying the corresponding import duties?

Just a day after the Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced it would implement the policy of random inspection of balikbayan boxes, a chastened President Aquino quickly backpedalled and ordered a stop to the “desecration” of packages after OFWs took to the social media to express their outrage.

Much has been said about the balikbayan box, that uniquely Filipino symbol of our tradition to provide for the needs of family and loved ones back home. Violate its contents and you defile the soul of our OFWs who undergo untold sacrifices abroad for the sake of their families.

The fear of possible pilferage and tampering of the contents of these balikbayan boxes, painstakingly filled with items embodying their love and concern for relatives and friends, remains paramount.

Despite the President’s directive to the BOC to impose x-ray examinations and canine-unit inspections on all boxes and to pull out for direct physical examination only individual boxes with suspicious cargo, our enraged OFWs have not been appeased.

Their unwillingness to have the balikbayan boxes opened by Customs shows what they think of the honesty and integrity of these government bureaucrats. And they are not alone. In the latest Social Weather Stations survey, Customs again ranked as the most corrupt agency in the government.

Our OFWs are now aware that they are in a position to influence the decisions of policy makers in the government. Commissioner Lina must learn to balance the objective to clamp down on the smuggling of drugs, guns and high-value items such as appliances and automotive spare parts with the humane treatment of OFWs toiling abroad to provide for their families in the Philippines.

Of late, Commissioner Lina has gotten a lot of flak for what is perceived as his agency’s selective application of the Tariff and Customs Code. The rampant smuggling of rice, garlic, undervalued luxury cars and other agricultural items has gone unabated, and is even seen to be on the rise.

Just last week, the biggest group of sugar planters and millers nationwide called for the resignation of Lina for allegedly allowing sugar smuggling to flourish. The Sugar Alliance of the Philippines condemned the “dramatic increase in sugar smuggling during the past four months” that “sadly coincides with the appointment of Commissioner Lina as head of the BOC.”

And in the unkindest cut, a female boxer who brought honor to the country by winning the flyweight championship of the Women’s International Boxing Association in Macau was taxed for her championship belt despite the law exempting trophies, prizes and other such recognition from import duties.

In fairness to Lina, he apologized to the OFWs in connection with the bureau’s earlier plan to manually inspect balikbayan boxes. He said the Customs bureau is now “drafting a new policy to make it easier for OFWs to get their balikbayan boxes while the BOC is addressing the issue on smuggling.”

Lina’s re-appointment to the Customs bureau was denounced for what is perceived as a conflict of interest. He owns companies with direct dealings with the BOC. However, he was quick to point out that he had already divested his shares in these companies.

But, as the saying goes, Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion. The recent spate of egregious errors by Commissioner Lina should be grounds for the President to file for divorce. His standard-bearer, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, in next year’s elections could possible bear the brunt of the people’s disgust.